Improvement in farm-gates



4tially. open.

.my invention applied to two kinds of gates, namely, the

,time

GEORGE SMITH, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISL-AND.

Letters Patent No. 86,184,

dated .Tamm/ry 26, 1869.

rMPRovEMENT IVN FARM-GATES.

The Schedule refen-ed tom these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rail-gate, having my improvementapplied to it.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of' the rail-gate, showing, by the aid oflines, one end, partially elevated.

Figure 4 is a top view of the rail-gate, swung par- Similar letters vofreference indicate corresponding' parts in the several figures.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination, with a gatewhich is hung on hinges, and swings horizontally, and vibratesvertically, of a weight for balancing it, as will be hereinafterdescribed, this com bination being an improvement on gates which swinghorizontally and vibrate vertically, but are not balanced; also, animprovement on balanced gates which are not suspended'on hinges, but arecapable of swinging horizontally and vibrating vertically.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, I have represented picket-gate, shown iniig. 1, and the rail-gate, shown in gs. 2, 3, and 4.

In gs. 2, 3, and 4, A represents a hollow post or box-post, which issomewhat higher than the height of the gate, and which is provided, nearits upper end, with a grooved sheave, b, over which a rope or chain, a,passes, which is attached to the gate, as will be hereinafter explained,and provided with a balancing-weight, B, which is designed to balance ornearly balance the weight of the free end of the gate.

This gate consists of horizontal rails, F, which are pivoted, in asuitable manner, between the vertical pickets, G E, so that thefree endof the gate, or that end nearest the latching-post C, can be vibratedvertically.

To the bottom rail F of the gate, near the pickets E, two bars a a arepivoted at c, on opposite sides of the gate, and connected together atc', their upper ends, and by these ends attached to the rope or chain aof the balancing-weight B, as clearly shown.

'lhe upper ends of the two bars a are free to vibrate, l

so as tmallow the gate to be vibrated vertically.

By this arrangement, it will be seen that the balancing-weight will 'notonly prevent the. gate from sagging, but it will also assist in raisingthe free end of the gate in the act of opening the gate, by giving itsfree end a vertical movement.

It will also be seen that the weight of the free end ofthe gate will besustained at the point c by the balancing-weight B, acting through themedium ofthe rope or chain a and the pivoted bars al.

This gate is connected to the hollow post Aby means of hinges d d,constructed in any suitable, well-known manner, which will allow thegate to swing horizontally when released from the post C.

This gate is fastened, when shut, by means of extensions of the top andbottom rails, which are re ceived in forked ends e e of the post C, asshown in the drawings, and also by the nose of a latch, D.

The forked ends e c prevent lateral displacement of the free end of thegate, and the .latch D, which may be made in the manner shown, or in anyother suita .ble manner, will prevent the free end of the gate fromcasually rising.

Thus it will be seen that, iu order to open my gate, the latch D must beforced back, andthe free end of the gate lifted until the extensions ofthe top and bot tom rails will escape horizontally from the' notches e ein post C.

At a suitable point on one of the pickets or upright bars, E, a hook, f,is pivoted, which is fastened to the eye f, on post f, when the gate israised, as indicated in red lines, iig. 3.

This will allow small animals to pass under the gate, but will preventhorses and other large 4animals from passing through the gate-opening. v

The picket shown in g. l is constructed substantially in the mannerdescribed for the rail-gate. In this picket-gate the rope or chain g ispassed through the upper rail, and carried off toa point near thepickets or bars E, and attached to the lower rail, thereby dispensingwith the pivoted bars (La, shown in gs. 2,V

3, and 4.

Oneof the great advantages otmy improved gute over all other gates is,that it can be readilylii'ted over snow-banks and swing open; anotheradvantage is, that 'it cannot'sag; and another advantage is, that it canbe

